text:
Nathan Cullen will not be seeking re-election.
The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP made the announcement Friday afternoon beside the Bulkley River in his hometown of Smithers.
"I've had five elections and I've been humbled by the love and support that I've received across the Northwest for all that we've tried to do in our politic. I've been incredibly proud in some of our accomplishments; not just protecting the Sacred Headwaters, achieving the Great Bear Rainforest agreement, defending the North Coast from oil tanker traffic and fish farms, but also attracting more attention, putting Skeena back on the map, bringing national attention to what we're doing in the Northwest because I think we have an incredible story to tell," said Cullen, who added he made his decision around Christmas but wanted to wait on announcing his intent until after NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's byelection win in Burnaby to avoid taking away some of the attention.
"I can't really properly articulate how much being the member of Parliament for Skeena-Bulkley Valley has meant to me and my family. It is one of the most incredible honours I've ever had; it's been humbling almost each and every day. Work has been challenging and it's really been a vocation; it's been a life's calling."
Voted by his colleagues across party lines as Maclean's 2018 parliamentarian of the year, Cullen is a veteran of 15 years for the NDP caucus. He joins fellow NDP MP Murray Rankin from Victoria in a growing line of party members choosing not to run, but plans on helping whoever runs for the NDP..
Cullen insists the number of NDP MPs not running again is simply cyclical. For the father of twin eight-year-olds, it was a family decision.
"I've talked to my colleagues and all of us not presenting again share a very similar story: It's about things going on in life. Some of my colleagues are at retirement age or similar to me have served quite a few years either in federal or provincial politics, and now is the time.
"If I were only looking at the political environment right now … I would run again because I think we have a real shot of this government coming down and having a real opportunity," said Cullen.
He said having a leader who is now an MP matters.
"I have great hope and optimism for Jagmeet Singh and our caucus going into the next election. It's good to see him in the House [of Commons] finally. And with the current government having the troubles that it's having, I think we'll have more than a better offer come 2019['s election]," said Cullen.
He expressed appreciation for the people who have reached out to him during this time of change and reflection.
"Support from the Indigenous elders not just from the Wet'suwet'en but across the Northwest, personally for me and my family, has been so humbling," said Cullen.
"I'm more than excited for the future. This has been a wild 15 years in federal politics. I've seen quite a few things and continue to be amazed by the strength and fortitude of the people of the Northwest. I look forward to serving and continuing to fight for them in a different way."
According to Cullen, some prominent people from northwest B.C. are considering taking a run at his seat.
Smithers Mayor Bachrach was at the announcement Friday. When asked he said he was busy running a small town, but seemed a bit dodgy, joking he was walking not running down the trail in Riverside Park.
Cullen said he does not know what's next for him.
He was in the non-profit and small business sector before being convinced to run 15 years ago by the late Bill Goodacre, a Smithers councillor and former area MLA who recently had the assisted living facility meant to combat homelessness in Smithers named after him.
— Nathan Cullen (@nathancullen) March 1, 2019


text:
Make your own panda costume, with these easy to follow instructions!
Step 1: MEASURE YOUR CHILD
- Circumference of head
- From between the eyebrows to back and bottom of neck
- Shoulder to shoulder
- Shoulder to wrist (both arms)
- Around the largest part of the arm (both arms)
- Base of neck to the crotch
- Around the chest (at the nipples)
- Around the belly (at the belly button)
- Around the hips (at the center of the bottom)
- Inseam (from the crotch to the ground)
- Around the thigh at the widest part (both legs)
With each measurement, add approximately 10″ (for the seams, the thickness of the fabric you will use, and extra breathing room). When in doubt, give yourself extra fabric for the suit—you can always take it in and make it smaller.
Step 2: BUY YOUR FABRIC
Estimate the amount of fabric you'll need based the total of your final measurements. You will need the same amount of black and white fabric. Tell the staff at your local fabric store that you are looking "sherpa craft fur" or something similar to it. You can choose a black or white invisible zipper, just make sure it is a length that fits the torso of your child, from the crotch to the base of the neck. Don't forget to buy any of the other supplies you will need when getting your fabric.
Step 3: START WITH THE HEAD
This is where you get a little creative! In order to make the panda head round and like a hood, use a ball that is close to the size of your child's head (volleyball, soccer ball). From the white fabric, cut a square piece that fits all the way around the ball, with a bit extra. Wrap the fabric around the ball loosely with the fuzzy side facing the ball. Next, use safety pins to pin back the four corners of the fabric square in a circular way. This will be the opening for the face of the costume. Work slowly around the whole ball, loosely pinching the fabric and pinning it so that after you sew all the pinched spots, you will turn the hood right side in and the fuzzy side will be a flush circular shape. After sewing all the seams and pinches, choose the spot that will connect to the rest of the costume at the bottom of the face opening and cut a slit from there that is half the measurement of the circumference of your child's head.
Step 4: THE EARS
To make the ears, just eyeball the size you would like them to be and cut two squares from the black fabric. (Always over-estimate when cutting into the fabric.) Here again you can just sort of ball them up until they appear to look like an appropriate panda ear and freestyle sew it together. Next, join the ears up with the white hooded head you made. Safety pin the ears on before sewing so you can really see where they are going to sit on the hood.
Step 5: THE BODY
Take a big cut out of the black fabric that is at least longer than the largest measurement you took from your child's torso. Keeping the furry side facing inward, form it into a tube, then sew the seam where the two edges meet to form the tube. Do the same for the two arms. Remember, you want your panda to be able to move, so do everything with a little extra room. Next, take the two arms and place them on either sides of the upper torso area of the large tube. Pin them in place while you trace around the arms with your chalk to make the arm holes. Cut the holes out. Sew the arms on using your black thread. To finish the arms, you can fold the wrist seam in and sew it if you want a cleaner look.
Between the fur of the fabric and the fact that your child may only wear or fit into this costume for one season, nothing needs to be perfect! So don't stress about mistakes and imperfections on your side.
Next, cut an oval shape from your white fabric, place it onto the front of the black torso you just made, and sew it on. Then find the center of the top of the chest opening, take your zipper, and cut straight down the center of the torso the same length as your zipper. Sew it in!
Step 6: THE PANDA BOOTY
Follow the same process for the legs as you did for the arms, but leave even more room in the legs than you think you need to (wider at the thighs and tapered at the ankles), and make them longer, too. Once you have your two legs, place them side-by-side. Now is when you kind of need to make it up—you are essentially making pants. After you figure that one out, sew the bottom onto to the upper torso.
Step 7: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Last but not least, don't forget to sew the HEAD on! Then unzip the suit and let your child try it on. Presto! Panda time!
And do a little dance!
Jackie Jones is a graphic designer and illustrator who has had the pleasure to create projects with clients all over the world. She currently lives in the fruit valley of Washington with her husband Andy, and is painting up a storm for her first children's book.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Next: Printing Nodes, Previous: Xref Commands, Up: Top [Contents][Index]
A window is a place to show the text of a node. Windows have a view area where the text of the node is displayed, and an associated mode line, which briefly describes the node being viewed.
GNU Info supports multiple windows appearing in a single screen; each window is separated from the next by its mode line. At any time, there is only one active window, that is, the window in which the cursor appears. There are commands available for creating windows, changing the size of windows, selecting which window is active, and for deleting windows.
• The Mode Line | What appears in the mode line? | |
• Basic Windows | Manipulating windows in Info. | |
• The Echo Area | Used for displaying errors and reading input. |


text:
NASA invites you — and everyone else on the planet — to take part in a worldwide celebration of Earth Day this year with the agency's #GlobalSelfie event.
While NASA satellites constantly look at Earth from space, on Earth Day we're asking you to step outside on Earth Day (April 22) and take a picture of yourself wherever you are on Earth. Then post it to social media using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie. The individual pictures tagged #GlobalSelfie will be used to create a mosaic image of Earth — a new "Blue Marble" built bit by bit with your photos.
For more information on how to participate, go to http://1.usa.gov/PfjXln


text:
UN General Assembly Resolutions: Resolution 50/22
(December 4, 1995)
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 36/120 E of 10 December 1981, 37/123 C of 16 December 1982, 38/180 C of 19 December 1983, 39/146 C of 14 December 1984, 40/168 C of 16 December 1985, 41/162 C of 4 December 1986, 42/209 D of 11 December 1987,43/54 C of 6 December 1988, 4/40 C of 4 December 1989, 45/83 C of 13 December 1990, 46/82 B of 16 December 1991, 47/63 B of 11 December 1992, 48/59 A of 14 December 1993 and 49/87 A of 16 December 1994, in which it determined that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which had altered or purported to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, in particular the so-called "Basic Law" on Jerusalem and the proclamation of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, were null and void and must be rescinded forthwith,
Recalling also Security Council resolution 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, in which the Council, inter alia, decided not to recognize the "Basic Law" and called upon those States that had established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Holy City,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 24 October l995,
1. Determines that the decision of Israel to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem is illegal and therefore null and void and has no validity whatsoever;
2. Deplores the transfer by some States of their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem in violation of Security Council resolution 478 (1980), and their refusal to comply with the provisions of that resolution;
3. Calls once more upon those States to abide by the provisions of the relevant United Nations resolutions, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution.
The Syrian Golan
The General Assembly
Having considered the item entitled "The situation in the Middle East", Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General of 24 October 1995, Recalling Security Council resolution 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981, Reaffirming the fundamental principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force,
Reaffirming once more the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the occupied Syrian Golan,
Deeply concerned that Israel has not withdrawn from the Syrian Golan, which has been under occupation since 1967, contrary to the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions,
Noting with satisfaction the convening at Madrid of the Peace Conference on the Middle East on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, with the hope that substantial and concrete progress will be achieved on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks for the realization of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region,
1. Declares that Israel has failed so far to comply with Security Council resolution 497 (1981);
2. Declares also that the Knesset decision of 11 November 1991 annexing the occupied Syrian Golan constitutes a grave violation of Security Council resolution 497 (1981) and therefore is null and void and has no validity whatsoever, and calls upon Israel to rescind it;
3. Reaffirms its determination that all relevant provisions of the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention of 1907, and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, continue to apply to the Syrian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, and calls upon the parties thereto to respect and ensure respect for their obligations under those instruments in all circumstances;
4. Determines once more that the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constitute a stumbling-block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region;
5. Demands once more that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution.
Sources: The United Nations


text:
This article is more than 1 year old
US govt asks Huawei and ZTE for more answers
Dumping allegations added to security questions
US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee chair, congressman Mike Rogers, has turned yet another blowtorch onto Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE, alleging that the Chinese government is subsidizing the price of kit they sell in America.
The committee has been investigating allegations of close ties between the Chinese government and both Huawei and ZTE since November and discussing the possible introduction of legislation that would deal with any related national-security threat.
Australian and New Zealand government officials have been in discussions with the panel's investigators, in addition to representatives from the UK and Canadian markets, according to Committee panel chairman, US congressman Mike Rogers.
Earlier in this year in Australia, Huawei was excluded from bidding for any NBN Co contracts due to murky security concerns.
He has raised concerns that the Chinese vendor's gear could be designed to make it easier to steal information, spy on US companies and government agencies or "establish the ability to do cyber attacks," Rogers told a Bloomberg Government conference in Washington.
Speculation includes claims that the Chinese government is subsidising Huawei and ZTE products in a bid to secure international market share. Rogers contended that the Chinese gear is subsidized "so it can be multiple times cheaper than any local competitor."
"This is going to be a huge problem that we're going to have to get a handle on very quickly," he said.
The committee aims to complete a classified and unclassified report by late US summer, covering any potential US security threat from the Chinese vendors.
Rogers said the findings would assist US telecommunication companies "to make the right decision and allow us to go forward with appropriate legislation as required."
Earlier this month, the panel issued letters to senior executives at Huawei and ZTE requesting detailed disclosure about Chinese government relations and their international pricing strategies. The letters,sent on June 12 gave the companies three weeks to respond.
The letters include requests for deeper detail about the companies' history, strategy, connections to the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party, and whether they can truly act as private companies.
"I remain concerned about the national security threat posed by the potential expansion of Huawei and ZTE into our telecommunications infrastructure, We must get to the bottom of these issues before the companies have further access to our market. I trust both Huawei and ZTE will respond fully and completely in a timely fashion," Rogers said. US House Intelligence Committee members also conducted face to face meetings with Huawei and ZTE execs in Hong Kong last month.
Huawei and ZTE continue to vigorously deny all claims. ®


text:
Egypt's Christians close ranks as kidnappings spike
| Minya, Egypt
Hany Sedhom's story begins the way dozens of others begin: it was dark, and he was driving home to a village on the outskirts of this sleepy city in late September.
Suddenly a car and motorcycle emerged out of the night, blocking the road. The men quickly got out and pointed automatic rifles at his head. Mr. Sedhom considered stepping on the gas and trying to escape, but he quickly abandoned the thought when the men fired at his car. They dragged him out of the vehicle, striking his head with a rifle butt and slashing his face with a knife before tying his hands, blindfolding him, and driving off into the desert with him.
Over the next 48 hours, Mr. Sedhom was beaten, taunted, and threatened with death. He was given no food, and only filthy water to drink.
He was finally released after his wife paid a ransom of 300,000 Egyptian pounds (about $43,500) – but not before his kidnappers threw him into a pit, pressed a gun to his head, and told him it was all over.
Sedhom's terrifying ordeal has become familiar for Christians throughout southern Egypt. More than 100 people have been kidnapped for ransom in this marginalized region in the last two and a half years, nearly all of them Christians, according to activists and church officials. And there has been a sharp increase in kidnappings in the months since Aug. 14, when hundreds were killed as police broke up two sit-ins supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
Although more than 80 people have been kidnapped in Minya Province alone, the rest of the country knows little about the burgeoning scourge of opportunistic violence. And victims, activists, and church officials say the police have largely ignored the problem, rarely taking steps to stop the kidnappers or bring them to justice.
A group of kidnap victims and a Coptic Orthodox Church official say they've waited long enough. In late October they planned a protest in front of the governor's office, and decided to begin publicizing the problem. When local officials found out, they invited the group to meetings with the governor and security chief in Minya. Group members are wary of broken promises, but they say the official acknowledgement of the problem is an important first step.
"If the police tried, this could be stopped," says Sedhom. "'If' is the key word here."
Bishop Makarios, the highest Coptic Orthodox Church official in the city of Minya, said that although the church traditionally confines itself to a spiritual role, comforting and counseling victims, church officials felt compelled to take a stance when the kidnappings spiked.
"Even though some Muslims would say that the church shouldn't have a role in politics and shouldn't interfere in such matters because it's not our role, the truth is that the state hasn't carried out its role, and the church members are being harmed, and they're pushing the church to take action," he says. "If the state would do what it was supposed to do, then no one could interfere in this."
Crimes of opportunity
Minya, a provincial capital with a high Christian population, could also be called Egypt's capital of kidnappings. More people have been snatched in this city and Province than in any other place in southern Egypt. Christians, particularly doctors and pharmacists, who make up most of the kidnap victims, live in fear of disappearing on a dark rural road like Sedhom – or that their children will be snatched on the way to school. Some rural communities are suffering from decreased access to healthcare because Christian doctors are afraid to travel to their clinics outside the city, where many of the kidnappings occur.
Christians are targeted because they do not have tribes or families who retaliate, unlike many Muslims in southern Egypt. As a tight-knit minority community, they are also perceived as able to raise large sums of money from friends and relatives for ransoms. And in Egypt, crimes against Christians have long gone routinely unpunished, fueling an environment of impunity.
The kidnappings are mostly crimes of opportunity, not hate. But some suspect that the spike of the last three months has been driven by Islamists' blame toward Christians, who they accuse of supporting the protests and military coup against Morsi.
When the number of people kidnapped since August rose to about 20, Bishop Makarios asked church officials to tally the number of people taken since 2011 so he could have a firm number to publicize. Officials have been calling each known victim, gathering information about when and where they were kidnapped, and how much the family paid in ransom.
So far, the count has reached 80 in and around the city of Minya, and the bishop estimates that it will surpass 100 in the province. There have also been around 30 kidnappings in another hotspot, the lawless village of Naga Hammadi further south. An unknown number of people have paid protection money after being threatened with kidnapping.
Sometimes the victims are treated well until their families pay up, but not Sedhom. He was left blindfolded with his hands bound behind his back for the length of his captivity. "I spent 48 hours without food, water, sleep, or light," he says. "Every time I asked a question, they beat me. The water they gave me was so repulsive, I couldn't bear to drink it – I don't know if it was from the sewer or what."
He said his kidnappers appeared to take delight in terrorizing him – at one point, they threatened to cut off his finger and send it to his wife as encouragement to raise the ransom. Later, they discussed killing Sedhom in front of him. Before he was released, they took him to a pit and pushed him inside. Lying there, Sedhom said he could smell the stench of death from something else in the pit as they pressed a gun barrel to his ear, his forehead, his mouth.
"I was sure I was going to die," says Sedhom. The husky, middle-aged doctor says his faith sustained him throughout the ordeal.
"I never thought I could take one millionth of what I endured," he says. "But every step of the way, every moment of pain, I could feel God there with me, telling me, 'I'm going to save you.'"
Taking action
When Sedhom told others his story, he suspected he had been taken by the same gang that kidnapped one of his friends, a doctor, in February 2012.They found two others who had similar stories.
The fact that the gang has been operating all that time with impunity discourages victims' families from contacting police when kidnappings happen. If police have done little to help others, they reason, why risk more lives by defying the kidnappers' orders and contacting authorities?
Both Sedhom and the doctor, who asked to remain anonymous because of the kidnappers' threats, filed police reports after they were released. Both say no suspects have been arrested in their cases.
Both men were among those who met with local officials. The local head of security forces began the meeting by accusing the victims of perpetuating the crisis by failing to file reports, says the doctor. But by the end of the meeting, he had promised to devote more resources to the problem.
There are now more checkpoints throughout the city, but most of the kidnappings take place in villages on the outskirts of Minya, not in the city center. "We want to feel interest," says the doctor. "The fact that they're trying is a good step. But our cry mainly is for the interior minister to pay attention to this governorate in general. ... You can't imagine the tragedy we're living through."
Minya's security director, a recent appointee, was unavailable for an interview, but an official in the Ministry of Interior, which oversees the police, said local police were working hard to bring kidnappers to justice. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 17 cases of kidnapping had been recorded in Minya in August and September. According to him, nine people have been rescued through police intervention and eight suspects have been arrested – and the search isn't over.
"We are doing our best, even if our capabilities are limited a little now because of the circumstances we passed through," he said, referring to the weakened police force after the 2011 uprising. "But now we are restoring our power, and we're doing our best to apprehend all the criminals and to settle the situation all over Egypt."
Moving on
The bishop says he knows of only two or three people rescued by police in the last three months. The weakening of security forces and proliferation of weapons among citizens since the 2011 revolution do not excuse police inaction, he says.
"In the last three years, police efforts were negligible. And this actually encouraged amateurs to start their own kidnap ventures."
He is encouraged by the official promise of action, but says he and the others will wait to see if officials follow through.
One of the signs of progress is Maged Wilson Eskander, an obstetrician in the village of Asmant, outside Minya. On a recent day, more than a dozen people waited for care in his simple clinic. When he emerged from the examining room, they crowded around him, offering congratulations on his safe return.
Dr. Eskander was kidnapped on Sept. 30. After 10 days, his wife paid a ransom of 200,000 Egyptian pounds ($29,000). But instead of releasing him, his captors demanded more money. After 15 days, police stormed the place where he was being held, around 100 kilometers away, and rescued him safely. One of his kidnappers has been arrested and is being charged.
He and his wife, Afaf Abdel Malek Fahmy, attribute the police action to the length of time he was held and the publicity his case received. Along with media publicity, they said, high-ranking church officials in Cairo brought his case to the attention of police officials.
He says he has hope that his case is the beginning of greater police action and that the situation will improve. But in the meantime, he says, he stays close to home, and doesn't travel at night.
This project was supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.


text:
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke junior Mason Plumlee will return for his senior season in 2012-13, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced on Tuesday. Plumlee, an Academic All-America selection in 2012, has collected 769 points, 726 rebounds and 147 blocks in 105 career games (64 starts) as a Blue Devil.
"I am really excited about my decision to come back," said Plumlee. "What it came down to was the people here and the relationships that I have developed. I feel like this is the best place for me to improve and that is one of the most important things to me. Also the way we ended last year is not the way I want to end my career at Duke."
Last season, Plumlee averaged 11.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game en route to earning third team All-ACC accolades. He was one of four players in the ACC to average at least 10.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. Plumlee finished tied for third in the ACC in rebounding and also ranked third in double-doubles (12) and double-figure rebounding games (16).
Plumlee also ranked second on the team in field goal percentage (.572, 143-of-250), while registering a Duke single-season record 60 dunks. The Warsaw, Ind., native led the team in rebounding 21 times last season and 45 times during his career. Duke is 88-17 (.838) over the last three seasons with Plumlee in the lineup.
"Mason had a very good year for us and we are excited to have him back for his senior season," said Krzyzewski. "He is a terrific talent that has improved every year. We look forward to watching him continue to grow and develop as a player and as a leader. Mason has the ability to contend for ACC Player of the Year and All-America honors next season."
With the return of Plumlee, the Blue Devils are expected to have nine letterwinners and four starters back from last year's team that went 27-7 overall and 13-3 in the ACC. Duke will also have redshirt freshmen Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee as well as incoming freshman Rasheed Sulaimon in the fold for the 2012-13 season. Plumlee will pair with fellow rising senior Ryan Kelly to give Duke an experienced frontcourt tandem that combined to average 22.9 points, 14.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game a season ago.
Plumlee currently ranks 20th in the Duke record books in career rebounds (726), 13th in offensive rebounds (229), fifth in blocks (147) and fourth in dunks (130). He is 231 points shy of becoming the 61st player in Duke history to score 1,000 career points and 275 rebounds shy of becoming just the eighth Blue Devil to grab 1,000 rebounds.


text:
Americans know instinctively that when liberals start talking about deficit reduction that's it's just a case of the fantods, as Huckleberry Finn would say. And say what you will about old Huck, but he knew a couple of frauds when he saw them.
No matter what liberal "Wonks" like Ezra Klein say about the historically dumb healthcare "reform" known as Obamcare, Americans are uneasy about it.
And they should be.
More and more law-abiding Americans say that they have constitutional objections to the healthcare and liberty land grab by the Obama administration.
Coming next? It could be guns!
Despite Sotomayor Ruling, Hobby Lobby Won't Comply With Abortifacient Mandate, says the National Catholic Register.
And the trend could grow, from healthcare to guns. And then, Houston, we have a problem.
The best thing- as Democrat strategist James Carville admitted last year- that could have happened for the Democrats is for the Supreme Court to have tossed out the landmark legislation that bears Obama's name.
But that didn't happen, so now the Democrats are stuck trying to make another bad law work.
Obamacare supporters like Ezra Klein, instead of trying to fix the problem continue to play dirty pool when it comes to healthcare reform. They now count it as a deficit fighter, when in fact, it's no such thing.
Unless of course you count any bill with a tax increase in it as a deficit fighter. A defense contract could be a deficit fighter too, if a defense contract was designed just like Obamacare.
Here let me show you the sleight of hand that liberals did to claim Obamacare fights the deficit.
Say, for example, that when we decommission the old Nimitz-class carriers we then replace them with the newer Gerald Ford class of carriers at $15 billion a clip. Let's say, in this example, that we then raise taxes 3.8 percent on people who go over a certain income limit, to an extent that we not only pay for each carrier but we also create a surplus of $100 billion that we can apply to the deficit- just as they did in Obamcare. Actually in the case of the aircraft carriers, the exact same tax increase that the used for Obamacare would pay for the carriers and leave a surplus of $180 billion over the same period, almost twice what Obamacare claims.
Then we could pass both the replacement aircraft carrier budget authorization and the tax increase in one bundle- just as they did with Obamacare- and call it the The American Affordable Defense Act (AADA).
Then any time someone threatens to scrap the Ford class carriers we could cry out "But getting rid of the AADA would add to the deficit!"
While the typical American doesn't necessarily know the ins and outs of Obamacare, the same confidence game has been played on them so may times that they are wise to it.
Counting on public stupidity to see a massive new spending program, like Obamacare, as some sort of deficit fighter, because THEY SAY IT IS, just shows you how weak the original case for Obamacare was in the first place.
And only in Washington can you start off entitlement reform that's supposed to reduce spending, by ushering in a massive new government program that will greatly grow government spending. And then pat yourself on the back for it.
Wasn't it the same type of entitlement Ponzi scheme that gave us the problem in the first place?
Wonks and politicians may not see it, but those guys are in the process of self term-limiting out of business anyway- either by votes or by pageviews. 2010 was just a preview, not a conclusion even accepting the standstill in the 2012 election.
Readers know that I hate to pick on the Washington Post this way, but I don't know anyone who would willingly call themselves a wonk in the first place. The Post's Wonk brand is stuck in the Way-Back Machine of the 1990s.
The Wonk Disneyland, known as DC, is exactly what gets us these kinds of political and mathematical ruses that pass for solutions these day. The only choice we will have soon is to stop complying with federal mandates like Obamacare.
Because Americans continue to favor repeal of Obamacare.
The Supreme Court decision calling Obamacare a tax will likely reinforce the opinion that it's a flawed piece of legislation that greatly expands government bureaucracy at a time when Americans think that government is doing too much not too little.
You can pass Obamacare as a deficit measure and call it Constitutional -and then wonk about it all you want. But Americans know the truth.
Obamacare, like the tax on tea that saw a load of it dumped into Boston Harbor in 1773, is just plain dumb. And both also go against natural law.
I won't comply.


text: On Sun, 2004-12-19 at 18:31, Andrew M.A. Cater wrote: > If you have a long running problem - DON'T start it now. If it needs to > run for two years - buy next year's equipment (which is twice as fast as > today's) and run it for just one year. One year wait then one years intensive > compute - and you're still ahead. Next year's computer is > _automatically_ faster and potentially much better value for your $$ :) > If you have a long running problem - don't start it right now. Spend some time adding checkpointing and then start it. That way you can start it in a month, get 11 months in, and then restart it on new faster, cheaper hardware. If you are running a code that pops out '42' after two years time, you got "some issues". One must not forget that the cluster part may be the fun part, but ultimately the science is the important part. It would be fun to report to a funding organization at a review that your sole progress is that you clicked the refresh button on a pricewatch.com webpage 63,714 times for the preceding quarter. -- -Dean


text:
Our tomato plants are sagging under the weight of plump cherry tomatoes. It is such a joy to walk out to the garden and see so many of them just waiting to be picked and eaten right there on the spot.
And when I am not in the garden, I have a hook, shuttle or knitting needles in my hands.
As of late, it has been the needles that are occupying my time --- and trying to find something that is not too difficult, but something that grabs my attention.
And I found a pattern & just loved the way the stitch looked in the book.
The booklet is Variety is the Spice of Knitting & found while scrounging at the thrift store. It is missing some pages --- along with the cover --- but filled with over 100 patterns of super delightful knitted patterns.
And now that I actually finished this experiment of
"Wow! I wonder if I can even knit that?!"
it reminded me of the cherry tomatoes that seem to be taking over the garden.
A cherry tomato scarf.
Perfect for the approaching autumn season.


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For Sale: Baby – Only $100
Paul Marquez is a 23-year-old New Yorker. He is in jail today, charged with attempting to sell the baby of a woman he dated on Craigslist for $100. He has pled not guilty; a friend says, "he probably did it as a joke." He reportedly faces up to a year in jail if convicted.
In Michigan, a woman was captured on video attempting to hire a "hit man" to kill her husband. "It was easier than divorcing him," she explained. The man she tried to hire was an undercover policeman. In a remarkable twist, her husband later testified in court: "I wholeheartedly forgive my wife for all she has done in this act of hatred." She quoted Scripture before the judge and expressed her repentance tearfully. He then sentenced her to at least five years and eight months in prison.
And a California woman will stand trial on felony charges that she plotted to have two ex-boyfriends killed. She allegedly asked her current boyfriend to kill one of her ex-boyfriends. Then a second ex-boyfriend told investigators that the woman had asked him to kill yet another former boyfriend while they were dating.
Meanwhile, abortions resulting from prenatal genetic testing are on the rise. For instance, as many as 16 out of 17 babies discovered to have cystic fibrosis are aborted. One couple is suing their doctors for "wrongful birth"-their daughter was born with cystic fibrosis and would have been aborted if testing had revealed her condition. Will more social pressure be placed on couples to abort unborn children with expensive medical conditions? Will insurance companies begin exempting such conditions from coverage?
Emerson believed that "one idea lights a thousand candles." But one idea can put a thousand out as well. Marxism was an idea birthed by a lonely scholar in the British Library before it became a political system that enslaved a third of the world. Now consider "eugenics," defined as "the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics." It fell into disfavor after its doctrines were used by the Nazis. Are we seeing its rise again today?
Doctors are reporting a significant rise in gender-based abortions. The states of Washington, Oregon, and Vermont have all legalized forms of physician-assisted suicide. Is life becoming less precious in our society? How should Christians respond to this issue?
Whatever the culture says about you, here's what God says: "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing" (Zephaniah 3:17). Remember all day that your Father takes joy in you, right now. This is the promise, and the invitation, of God.


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Speaking Up For the Talkies in 1929: 'Silent Movies Are History'
The Oscar-nominated film The Artist shows how much silent movie actors disliked the arrival of sound to cinema. But it wasn't just the silent actors and actresses who disliked the 'talkies.' As Wesley Stout reported in his Post article "Beautiful, But No Longer Dumb,"
There are several hundred thousand, perhaps several million, moviegoers of all kinds and flavors in the United State who continue to protest in this late spring of 1929 that they do not like talking pictures and will not have them.
Though grousing and whining about the end of silence in movie theaters reminded Stout of a movie theater he visited as a boy. Each night, a small audience would gather, slump into the seats, and snooze through the night while the projectionist changed reels and showed the same movie over and over. "The only comment from the house was a contented snoring," Stout said.
[I suspect] the outcry against talking pictures is being led by those patrons who have found the dim cathedral light, the overstuffed upholsteries and the easily ignored entertainment to be the perfect soporific. They resent having their sleep interrupted.
Stout admitted that some Americans disliked 'talkies' because they'd only seen the first productions, which had been filmed and shown on inadequate equipment. Other just disliked change, or enjoyed adopting a fashionable opinion. He was particularly surprised the complaints that rose from newspapers' drama critics—
A majority of whom, until recently, rarely have had a kind word to say of pictures… [Now they] look upon the least silent celluloid as the Ark of the Covenant about to be profaned by vulgar hands.
Not that long ago, Stout reminded readers, silent movies arrived with images of the world without sound.
When pictures first were shown, audiences felt this lack. Lips moved, traffic flowed, shots were fired, horses galloped, pies were thrown, and the Empire State Express flashed through Tarrytown in a world suddenly become stone deaf.
In the course of years we adjusted our ears to this unnatural silence and, creatures of habit that we are, it is the returning sound that now offends our senses.
Now, Stout declared, American audiences would adapt again.
Here is a prediction:
The silent picture will be as dead as the souvenir teaspoon within a very short time, and none but professional adopters of lost causes will mourn at its tomb…
Talking pictures will produce better entertainment for considerably less money.
When the hisses and the catcalls have subsided, we shall proceed…
The addition of speech, music, and sound-effects to moving pictures has expanded their entertainment and artistic possibilities beyond anything the most farsighted can foresee today.
Talkies wouldn't just offer talk, they'd bring along their own musical accompaniment— and not just a theater organ or piano, but full orchestras, famous singers, and choruses.
Millions have never seen a real musical comedy or revue. Such entertainment has been confined for years to the larger cities and played at prices prohibitive to John and Mary. Shortly they will be available at movie prices to any town large enough to support a wired movie house.
In Stout's experience, the sound quality of movies already surpassed the best theatrical production. In 1927, he had seen "Show Boat" performed onstage at New York's Ziegfield Theater. Even though he sat in the tenth row, "I distinguished no two consecutive words of Helen Morgan's song "Bill." Then he saw a film version of the play.
I again saw Miss Morgan, just as on Sixth Avenue, New York, except that I saw her more clearly… And I heard every word of the lyrics of "Bill" — lyrics very well worth hearing.
She was in New York and I in Salt Lake, but, the illusion being complete, I forgot that at her first note.
The arrival of talkies, Stout continued, would let comedies move beyond the limits of sight gags. And in drama, the ability to speak lines would enable movies actors to add depth to their performances, and touch audiences as never before. A theater manager had recently told Stout,
"[in silent movies] the story was unimportant because the real drama went on in [the viewers'] own imaginations.
"All they asked was a push to start them off, and the regulation clinch at the end… They identified themselves with the stars.
"The screen reached them only with images; the actors had no more reality than the watcher invested them with.
"But once an actress spoke, the real woman broke through. Her personality reaches out and shakes the audience out of its private dreams. They are forced to take note of character now."
The added dimension of speech, according to this manager, would have a "profound effect on daily life." Movie-makers would be forced to write intelligent dialogue. And youngsters would stop imitating the shallow characters they'd seen in movies because they would see true personalities in movies.
As a prediction, it contained a large dose of wishful thinking. Sound didn't force movies to become more intelligent and youngsters didn't stop mimicking insipid role models they saw in movie melodramas. But the potential for sound pictures was still immense— so immense that Stout himself was tempted into making a rash prediction.
Very probably the stage —musical, vaudeville and legitimate—oh, yes, legitimate! —will not survive the new competition long.
No pencil can figure how the stage of Shakespeare and his successors can compete with them, even under the highly special conditions of Broadway.
Stout fell into the trap that has swallowed up many other prophets. He believed that the latest innovation in entertainment meant the extinction of any older style. Radio was supposed to bring the death of newspapers. Television would kill radio. The internet would bury television. E-books will replace books in print. And 'talkies' meant the end of live theater.
Americans, however, are hungry for entertainment, and never fully abandon any diversion. In a culture where long-playing records continue to survive amid CDs, no medium ever disappears.


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Sponsor: Designs by Romi came about serendipitously in 2005 when designer Romi Hill began creating a collection of simple and elegant shawl pins as a solution to her problem of the shawls she'd worked so hard on, not staying put. What started as a bespoke side project, soon turned into passion, leading to knitwear designs many of us have come to love. Romi's style transcends the common wardrobe, appealing to both novice and seasoned knitters. Her most recent eBook from the 7 Small Shawls Series, Asymmetry is a celebration of lace, a brilliant collection incorporating lace patterns with some of our favorite yarns. Make sure to check find this eBook on Ravelry. And on February 1st Romi will be releasing a new eBook subscription. And Feb 24-26, if you find yourself at Stitches West, make sure to stop by and say hi to Romi in person who will be at the Verb for Keeping Warm booth #917,919 and 921. You can find Design by Romi at designsbyromi.com and follow her on Instagram @romidesigns
Fiber folk: I first became captivated by Shannon Haye's work when I came across her site after searching 'Multigenerational Farming' and quickly became engrossed in her blog and books. Shannon is an amazing storyteller, living and operating a multigenerational homestead and farm to table cafe with her husband, two daughters and parents in rural upstate New York. From meat to fiber, homeschooling and running a farm based business, I hope you enjoy hearing Shannon's fiber and farm journey as much as I have. You can find Shannon, all their farm goods and her books at sapbush.com.
Photos by: Shannon Hayes, Stewart Cairns, Daily Gazette
Sponsor: Sunday Knits has quickly become one of my new favorite yarns to knit with. Started in 2008 by Carol Sunday, Sunday Knits is a collection of 4 merino and merino blend yarns and beautiful patterns designed by Carol. From the 100% extra-fine Australian merino to the French Angora, all their fibers are humanely sourced and then milled in Italy to Carol's meticulous and caring specifications. Aside from this yarns obvious qualities, they're a dream to knit with…so soft yet sturdy and the breadth of colors are beautiful and perfect for color work. And if you enjoy knitting shawls, make sure to take a look at Carol's latest pattern, Soutache, featuring a 2-color brioche design…a little warmth and a lot of style makes this beautiful shawl a wardrobe staple, and an enjoyable knit, in any of Sunday Knits' 3-ply yarns. You can also find kits for this design on their website. Visit Sunday Knits at sundayknits.com or if you can make a trip to Roscoe, Illinois near the Wisconsin state line, make an appointment to visit Sunday Knits gorgeous studio. You can follow on Instagram @carolsundayknits.
Giveaway: The winner of last weeks giveaway is Judith B. You've won a Reindeer doll from Erika Barrett and two skeins of Brooklyn General's Barnwool. Congratulations!
This week's giveaway is sponsored by Romi Hill and The Radical Homemaker and they're giving away Romi's 2016 eBook, a subscription to this year's eBook club and a copy of Shannon's book Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lover's Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously. To enter, leave a comment on this post.
Music by Jónsi.


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Willie and I went to Marshall Beach a couple months ago hoping to catch a nice sunset above the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB) but came home with nothing. Willie went back and although there was a nice sunset along the coast, again, the GGB stayed gray. Hoping that the 3rd time one of us visited this beach would be the charm I grabbed my gear on Easter Sunday and drove up to Marshall Beach. I arrived about an hour early and was pretty excited. The entire drive up to SF had some beautiful looking clouds and I was hoping it would stay that way.
Of course as the sun began to set the fog started to roll in … sorta. There was just a wispy patch here and there. Some bigger clouds rolled in with some boring texture (see the photo above), but nothing too awful. Along the horizon a couple clouds rolled in and I sat there praying that they wouldn't block the sunset. To my horror, some thickish clouds perched right in front of the sun and blocked most of the sun from getting through. Enough light made it to give a slight glow to the clouds and a little bit of recovery in Lightroom brought out the purple and pinks that you see above (I only brought saturation up +5 in this).
Trying to figure out a composition for this shot was a little difficult. The area that I had scouted previously and really liked was under water. Low tide was finishing up just as I arrived sunset would be on its way towards high(er) tide. The problem was I didn't know how high it would rise before sunset. There were a couple options for compositions and I ran the risk of choosing some rocks that would either be completely underwater or perhaps completely void of water. Fortunately I chose wisely and the waves covered these 4 sets of rocks just as the sun was setting. I liked that they made a little semi-circular shape, with the rock in the back left getting some spray from the incoming waves. Overall I was pretty pleased with how the photo came out!
On my way out I was approached by another photographer, Tran Mai, and we had a nice chat about photography, photo-outings, and places to shoot. Apparently there's a big SF crowd that gets together often and she mentioned she'd include me in the future. I'm excited to meet the crew!
Nikon D700 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S:
28mm, f/14, 1/5 sec, ISO 200
Lee Filter Holder + 0.9 HiTech Soft ND Grad


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Nu metal was so 10 years ago. You know it and we know it, but apparently, no one knows it more than Korn, one of the pioneers of the genre, who are embracing dubstep on their forthcoming album, The Path Of Totality.
Frontman Jonathan Davis led the band into the world of dubstep. Said bassist Fieldy, "Jonathan loved it [dubstep] and he just got us into it. We feel it's important to stay current and keep on top of what's going on."
To that effect, the band worked with producers such Excision, Datsik, Noisia, Kill The Noise and 12th Planet. And as for their pairing with Skrillex, it's already yielded the album's first single, Get Up! (check it out above).
When Davis and guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer joined Skrillex on stage at Coachella last April for an unannounced performance of Get Up! the impact was immediate, resulting in over 150,00 downloads and 2 million views for the lyric video.
"Get Up! started as a bit of an experiment," said Munky, "but we had such an amazing response from our fans and had such a great time collaborating that a full album of tracks came together in a couple of months. We couldn't wait to get to the studio every day to finish the next song."
The Path Of Totality will be released on 5 December. Here is the tracklisting:
1. Bleeding Out
2. Chaos Lives In Everything
3. Kill Mercy Within
4. My Wall
5. Narcisstic Cannibal
6. Illuminati
7. Burn The Obedient
8. Sanctuary
9. Let's Go
10. Get Up!
11. Way Too Far


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Hi and Welcome to my blog.
If you are looking for crafting stuff there is some old content on this blog but all my new craft stuff is over here on my new blog Upcycled Design Lab.
I have also concluded my last post regarding my EBay Life and what it is like to sell stuff on EBay on this blog and decided to continue the posting on my newest blog Clothesline Apparel and More
So what happens next at Outside the Cocoon? You will have to scroll down to find out.


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Elle Magazine wrote up a lovely feature on me, working with Kevin, and our studio in the December issue! As you can see above I've been carrying it around with me as a party favor… that's a joke. Only Kevin's parents do that.
above, walking to our studio wearing Trina Turk Ali Wrap coat and Trina Turk Winters Shift dress, Furla Mediterranea bag for SAKS, David Yurman Chevron, Havana sunglasses, Tiffany & Co. pearls, Hanes Bootliner tights, and Rachel Roy Delia boots.
Catherine Straut from Elle came to the studio for the interview and I thought she was so pretty I made her sit for me while she asked me questions! I know I was making it hard for her to do her job but taking pictures is so much more fun than talking for me.
Below, the featured image from our photo shoot at Ann Street Studio! Kevin and I shot this in the middle of NYFW. The dress is Viktor and Rolf, but did you know?… you can also rent it.
Check it out in the December issue or read all about it online!


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So there you are with your multimeter in hand, testing pickup coils from last month, right? We discussed what an unusually low resistance measurement would mean, but it's more
So there you are with your multimeter in hand, testing pickup coils from last month, right? We discussed what an unusually low resistance measurement would mean, but it's more likely that a faulty pickup will give you an unusually high reading (e.g. infinite resistance) than a low one. What does this mean?
It probably means your pickup is now composed of more than one piece of wire, which is not a good thing at all. Infinite resistance tells you that you have no continuity between the meter leads and that the path through which the current must flow is probably broken. This is referred to as an open circuit, which means not complete.
I say the path is probably broken, and not definitely broken, because sometimes cold solder joints can cause a coil to appear to be open when it's really not. So if you read infinite resistance on the meter, you may just have cold solder joints. And if the solder joints are exposed, as is the case with Strat and Tele pickups, then simply heating the two solder joints with a soldering iron for a few seconds and allowing them to cool may fix the pickup. This is always the first thing to try when a pickup reads open, and surprisingly, it often fixes the problem. There's another Strat/Tele pickup malady that can also sometimes be fixed by heating the solder joints: when the wires along the pickup's edge get scuffed during installation into the guitar. Strat and Tele (and many other) pickups have their coil wire wrapped through eyelets and around the edge of the pickup's base several times, before the leads are soldered on. These wraps can be scraped along the guitar body's cavity wall when the pickup is installed and some or all of the wraps can break. In this case, heating the joint will sometimes burn through the coil wire's insulation and restore continuity.
But let's say that heating the solder joints doesn't work – you've tried that and the pickup still reads open. What to do?
Presumably, the pickup didn't ship from the manufacturer this way, so someone (you?) has damaged the coil, probably by jabbing it with something sharp like a screwdriver, or a pair of pliers, or something similar. Coil wire is so thin that it can easily break, so jabbing a coil with hard metal objects is not a great way to engender it with long life.
If the damage to the coil is in its outer wraps, then the pickup is probably repairable. The exception is if the coil wire is broken at the ground connection, as shown in the following illustration.
If this is the case, then the pickup needs to be rewound or replaced. There's no practical way to connect the two broken ends of the wire together.
On the other hand, if the wire is broken at the hot connection (the white wire), or if it has sustained some damage to the outside of the coil, then it's probably repairable by peeling it. This can often be successfully done in 15 or 20 minutes, and I'll tell you all about how to do it next month.
Until then!
George Ellison
Founder, Acme Guitar Works


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Salad is one of those things that you can get tired of pretty quickly.
Have you ever heard someone announce in a restaurant that they are just dying for a salad?
So here are some easy ways to put a gourmet spin on your bed of greens to make a drool-worthy meal, by layering in the goodies like nuts, prosciutto, and cheese while ramping up the superfoods like spinach, beans, and leafy greens.
Pear salad with glazed pecans on romaine: Pears are high in fiber – which is important to get during the cold weather months – when appetites tend to naturally increase. Eating fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber and lower in calories mean you can eat more volume without becoming more "voluminous". Adding a few nuts is also a great way to calm hunger and get the right portion of healthy fat – important to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A and D and also keep skin healthy during the cooler weather months.
Grilled or Sautéed mushrooms, thinly sliced cabbages & sesame dressing: Meat lovers are oftentimes fond of mushrooms too and it's no wonder since mushrooms contain amino acids just like meat (and can have a meaty texture). They are also high in selenium, important for the immune system, thyroid metabolism and reproduction.
Brussels Sprouts with balsamic and hazelnuts tossed with baby mixed greens: Brussels sprouts are cruciferous cancer fighters, much like cauliflower and cabbage, because they share common compounds – glucosinolates. They also happen to be very high in vitamin C and can be absolutely delicious when cooked properly. Whatever cooking method you use, the key is to not overcook them – that's what releases the sulfur-based compounds that smell of rotten eggs.
Avocado and grapefruit wedges on butter lettuce with your favorite lemon-based vinegar: We've got two super foods here that are both rich in potassium, that helps to maintain water levels in your body and keep muscle-cramps at bay. If you take prescription drugs, check with your doctor for possible interactions from eating grapefruit.
Roasted beets with goat cheese and lentils: Beets are high in manganese which is good news for your body in many ways including maintaining bone health and the health of your nervous system. Lentils which are high in fiber are also a great for keeping cholesterol in check while giving you a dose of iron and lean protein at the same time.
White beans and kale with crispy prosciutto: Beans are a good source of manganese and iron, and can give you filling fiber that helps to maintain blood sugar spikes and dips, which means less hunger pangs. Kale is king with it comes to the "anti's", because it contains compounds that are anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants, and anti-cancer. My favorite way to eat it is to crisp it in the oven just as you would cook bacon and prosciutto.
Artichoke, shaved Parmesan, and grilled scallions: Artichokes are an rich source of cynarin and silymarin, two vital anti-oxidants that can give your liver a helping hand. Much like peas, artichokes contain high amounts of fiber and if you find the fresh pricey or hard to prepare, get the frozen. Canned artichokes are also available year round but contain a lot of salt, so frozen is a better bet when you pair them with salty ingredients likes Parmesan and salad dressing.
Fresh baby peas, shrimp, and avocado: Peas are sweet and very high in fiber, great for weight loss because it makes you feel full and helps to steady blood sugar. Fresh peas taste world's above their frozen counterpart, but frozen peas are a good option since they don't lose any of their nutrition and are budget friendly.
Roasted asparagus with lemon or orange sections and toasted pine nuts: Asparagus is high in fiber and folate and is delicious when roasted with a little olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place your asparagus, fresh from the oven, onto a bed of mesclun greens, butter lettuce, or chopped romaine.
Red bell pepper, black beans, and cilantro: Red bell pepper is the vitamin C superstar. It also happens to contain molybdenum. Watercress, Romaine, or leafy green lettuce is a good base for these Latin flavors.
Spinach with hot turkey bacon dressing and thinly slice red onion: Spinach is the superhero of the vegetables world: You can think of it as an alphabet of nutrition, starting with vitamin A, B, and C and the list continues on with many vital minerals as well. Prepare this salad with raw, tender baby spinach leaves as excessive cooking can kill water soluble vitamins like C. Whisk a little olive oil directly in your skillet once the bacon is cooked and add a few tablespoon of red wine vinegar for a delightful dressing.
Cherry tomatoes, fresh corn and buffalo mozzarella: Tomatoes are high in vitamin A and C as well as lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant that lives in the pigment that give tomatoes their rich red hue. I eat my fresh summer corn raw in salads, it's so sweet and tender – there is really no need to steam it first. Look for tender baby lettuce leaves from your local farmer's market. Fresh mozzarella adds plenty of calcium and the slightly sour buffalo mozzarella is a nice contrast against the sweet tomato and corn.
Chicken Caesar with romaine, plum tomatoes, shaved parmesan: Romaine is one of the most nutritious lettuces, it's high in vitamin C and A and just 2 cups chopped will give you more than 40% of your daily needs of both. I prefer to slice it and since it has a hearty texture it's holds up well in your crisper and is a perfect base for heavier toppings like chicken.


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If you are an executive, a manager or any kind of leader working in a knowledge-based organization, including IT companies, you are likely to find something useful here.
I aid large organizations, smaller companies and single teams that want to move de facto into the 21st century and improve their business capability, by adopting modern approaches to value generation and to teamwork.
In practice, I can help you and your organization to:
I can work side-by-side with your organization, beside the organizational and mindset change, in the adoption of Agile and Lean methods such as Scrum, eXtreme Programming (XP) and Kanban, in large enterprise transitions as well as for one single team.
I integrate the Agile/Lean principles and practices with other disciplines including Learning organizations, Complexity thinking and socio-relational skills, all quite valuable when it comes to thriving on knowledge work.
My solid and extensive technical background in Information Technology, that I developed in the first 15 years of my career, allows me to understand the business and organizational side of IT as well as its operational and practical complexities.
However, my work in the field of organizational and cultural change is no longer confined to the IT space.
I provide Agile executive coaching, team coaching, Agile organizational consulting and, occasionally, training – the latter in the form of hands-on interactive workshops.
Depending on your goal, I can be on-site for one single day of consulting or training, or for multiple coaching and consulting days spread over a longer period of time. Traveling wherever you are isn't an issue.
I'm most effective when I'm actively engaged in concrete projects and when I work side by side with executives and managers.
In over two decades of professional experience, I've had clients (including a few remarkable ones) in three different continents and I've worked with organizations ranging from the United Nations to small and dynamic IT companies.
I've worked for four years in the U.S. on a O-1 visa for "extraordinary abilities in Sciences", at the time helping development teams to become more proficient in programming languages and enterprise software architectures.
As part of my regular activities, I enjoy sharing what I know by speaking at major international conferences and by teaching public workshops in different countries through a network of partner companies.
I currently work in Europe and I'm based in Italy. Not surprisingly, I travel quite a bit.
If we haven't already met at one of the conferences I speak at and you would like to learn more about what I do, just let me know and we will easily arrange a call.
You can contact me on this site or connect with me on the social media platforms where I'm most active, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Finally, if you are interested in my work in general, I recommend that you subscribe to my monthly newsletter.


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Readers Theatre
In Readers Theatre, participants read aloud from play scripts. As team building, the activity can be for the "actors" only, or they can have an audience. Actors use vocal expression rather than visual storytelling such as sets, costumes, and intricate blocking.
Before an audience, the actors can sit stools or chairs or stand at microphones. There can be no costuming, or the costumes can simple as hats and jackets, or more elaborate. As a party game, there is no rehearsal necessary; some groups do have rehearsals and even memorize the lines. It can be done with or without a designated director.
Fun and entertainment; getting to know each other; reading material of interest to the group and relevant to its regular activities; stepping outside the box, education about a topic.
Group Size
Scripts can be found at libraries, bookstores, and online.
Set Up
Decide on a play, obtain copies of the script, schedule a date with adequate time, arrange for audience if desired.
Discussions about the theme, messages, and characters can lead to insights about team activities. Discussions about the process of organizing and doing the activity can inform future projects.
With smaller groups, each actor can take more than one part. This works best if the characters appear mostly in different scenes.
Shakespeare In a Box is a packaged product with a condensed script of one of several Shakespeare plays, directions on how to divide the parts for different sized groups, and some simple props. Here is an example: Taming of the Shrew


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Einstein had achieved worldwide fame with his theory of general relativity, although his personal life was far from idyllic. His wife, Mileva, complained that he had no time for her in the midst of his fame, adding, "I am very starved for love." For his part, Einstein felt increasingly suffocated in his marriage and embarked on a love affair with his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal. Mileva and Albert separated in 1914, after bitter arguments, and divorced in 1919. That same year he married Elsa, and settled in with her and her two grown daughters by a previous marriage.
Satyendra Bose |
Scientifically, however, he was still going strong. Einstein's 1917 paper detailing a quantum theory of radiation sowed the seeds for quantum electrodynamics and quantum optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and the processes of spontaneous and stimulated emission – the last of which led, later on, to the invention of masers and lasers by other physicists. And it also provided the underpinnings for a theoretical new state of matter.
Einstein's theory of radiation provided a complete characterization of the light quantum's specific particle properties. However, he didn't immediately work out the statistical mechanics of those particles–an omission that has surprised several science historians, since he based his 1905 paper on the energy quantization of radiation on a study of the entropy of thermal radiation.
That omission was remedied in 1924, when he received a paper from a colleague, Satyendra Nath Bose, that successfully derived Planck's law by treating photons as indistinguishable particles, rather than individual quanta. Einstein promptly forwarded the paper for publication, and applied the same reasoning as Bose used to a gas of indistinguishable atoms. The result was the creation of Bose-Einstein statistics. Many physicists regard this work as Einstein's last major contribution to physics.
A Bose-Einstein Condensate |
Einstein and Bose used their new method to predict the possibility of a new form of matter, dubbed a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). They surmised that the wavelike nature of atoms might allow them to spread out and even overlap, if they are packed closely enough together. Lowering the temperature reduces the atoms' speed. If the temperature gets low enough (billionths of a degree above absolute zero) and the atoms are densely packed enough, the different matter waves will be able to "sense" one another and coordinate themselves as if they were one big "monoatom."
Einstein published a paper on the topic, entitled "Quantum Theory of the Monatomic Ideal Gas," in the proceedings of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, Germany, in January 1925. In August of this year (see Members in the Media), a student at Leiden University's Lorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics uncovered Einstein's manuscript for the paper, while reviewing documents in the archive for his thesis on Paul Ehrenfest.
But the technology didn't yet exist to create such a new state of matter in the laboratory. In the mid-1980s, Stanford University physicist Steven Chu demonstrated laser cooling by weaving a "web" out of infrared laser beams. He called it "optical molasses." The beams bombard target atoms with a steady stream of photons, whose wavelengths are carefully selected so that they will only be absorbed if they collide head-on with atoms. As the atoms slow down, they cool down to about 10 millionths of a degree above absolute zero.
Carl Wieman, a physicist at JILA/University of Colorado, and his JILA colleague, Eric Cornell, embarked on a five-year quest to produce the first BEC, using a combination of laser and magnetic cooling equipment that Wieman designed himself. While other groups were pouring research dollars into cutting-edge $150,000 lasers, he pioneered the use of simple $200 diode lasers. Using a laser trap, they cooled about 10 million rubidium gas atoms; the cooled atoms were then held in place by a magnetic field. But the atoms still weren't cold enough to form a BEC, so the two men added a second step, evaporative cooling, in which magnetic fields in a web conspire to kick out the hottest atoms so that the cooler atoms can move more closely together. Evaporative cooling was an old technique; the JILA scientists simply tinkered with it until they got the low temperatures they needed.
Wieman and Cornell made physics history at 10:54 a.m. on June 5, 1995, producing a BEC of about 2000 rubidium atoms that lasted 15-20 seconds. Shortly thereafter, MIT physicist Wolfgang Ketterle achieved a BEC in his laboratory. By September 2001, over three dozen teams had replicated the experiment. Wieman, Cornell and Ketterle shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics for their achievement.
The discovery launched an entirely new branch of physics. BECs enable scientists to study the strange, small world of quantum physics as if they were looking at it through a magnifying glass; a BEC "amplifies" atoms in the same way that lasers amplify photons. Among other things, scientists have used BECs to build an atom laser that releases individual atoms; it could one day be useful to etch tiny patterns on computer microchips. Others hope to build atomic computer circuits that rely on the motion of atoms instead of electrons to store and process information. And in February 1999, researchers at Harvard University found they could slow down light – which normally travels at 669,600,000 MPH—to just 38 MPH by shining a laser beam through a BEC. Two years later they briefly brought light to a complete stop.
APS encourages the redistribution of the materials included in this newspaper provided that attribution to the source is noted and the materials are not truncated or changed.


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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Motorola's Xoom has been hailed as the most likely tablet computer to rival Apple's iPad — the first with the goods to compete against the uncontested leader in this nascent but rapidly growing market.
After trying it out, I found it to be a great gadget that, in many ways, can keep up with the black slab from Apple. The first black slab, that is. Unfortunately, Apple said Wednesday that it will start selling a new, improved iPad next week, which will likely make it difficult for the Xoom to snag many users.
The Xoom is well-equipped, with a large, vivid touch screen and zippy processor.
It's the first to use Honeycomb, Google Inc.'s flashy tablet-geared Android 3.0 software, which is a big improvement over older versions designed for phones but pushed onto some tablets.
It's clear the software was designed for a tablet's larger touch screen. A persistent bar at the bottom of the screen displays virtual "home" and "back" buttons. You get information such as battery life and wireless reception and notifications for e-mails, instant messages and more. You also get a virtual button that can pull up miniaturized images of your most recently used apps, the way it looked when you last used them. That makes it convenient for speeding back over to a game or Web page.
The touch-screen keyboard is also nicer, thanks to Honeycomb. It's easier to type e-mails and instant messages on the Xoom than on tablets running older versions of Android. Although it doesn't seem as easy to use as the iPad's virtual keyboard, the Xoom's keyboard is fairly spacious and was something I got use to typing with after several hours. Those who do a lot of typing can use a Bluetooth keyboard or connect a USB keyboard with an adapter through the Xoom's Micro USB port.
There's one big blemish marring the Xoom's otherwise delightful package: its price tag.
The Xoom, made by Motorola Mobility Inc. and available from Verizon Wireless, costs $800 without a cellular-service contract, about $70 more than a similarly apportioned iPad. You can get a Xoom for $600, but you'll have to sign up for a two-year data plan that runs at least $20 per month; by contrast, AT&T Inc. offers month-to-month data service for the iPad. Like the iPad, the Xoom lets you access the Internet through Wi-Fi, so a data plan isn't essential.
While Motorola offers the Xoom in only one configuration right now — with 32 gigabytes of storage and data access through both Wi-Fi and Verizon's cellular network — Apple offers a range of iPads. The cheapest is $499 and comes with 16 gigabytes of built-in storage and Wi-Fi access. The most expensive is $829 for a 64-gigabyte version with Wi-Fi and the ability to access AT&T's data network for an additional fee.
Apple's iPad 2, which will be available in black and white, will keep the same pricing structure, and a version of it will work with Verizon's network.
Other than price, the Xoom and the iPad appear pretty similar: Both are thin, shiny slabs, though the Xoom's screen is a bit bigger (and the new iPad is noticeably thinner). The Xoom, like the iPad, has very few buttons: Volume buttons sit on one side, and a combined power and lock button is inconveniently positioned on the back.
The Xoom also has some 3-D-esque views incorporated throughout Xoom's software. Play music on the Xoom and you'll notice your albums are viewable in a 3-D-like array, or open up the included YouTube app and you'll see a curved gallery of videos.
I was happy to see an updated Web browser, which gives you the ability to open multiple tabs on a single screen; the iPad can't do that and instead forces you to open a new window for each Web page. Web surfing becomes easier and more clearly organized because you can see what you're doing all on one screen, without having to leave the webpage you're looking at. The browser also lets you surf the Web in "incognito mode," which means pages you visit won't be logged in the tablet's browsing or search history; that's a feature common on desktop browsers.
Sadly, the Xoom didn't come with support for Flash videos, which is a popular online video format. An upgrade to allow that is coming soon.
The Xoom's screen measures 10.1 inches diagonally, compared with the iPad's 9.7 inches. Its resolution is slightly higher than the iPad's, and videos and photos looked bright and sharp with vivid colors. It's great for reading books downloaded through the included Google Books app. The app looks similar to one for Apple Inc.'s iBooks, but it also has "day" and "night" settings. Those let you switch to a white-text-on-black-background view when reading in the dark.
The Xoom includes a 5-megapixel camera on the back and a 2-megapixel camera on the front — cameras were lacking on the first iPad, but the iPad 2 will also have front and rear cameras. The Xoom's back camera includes some simple color effects and scene modes for adjusting your images. The front camera works with Google Talk's video chat feature, so you can conduct video chats with friends. This is a nice addition I'd been waiting to see.
I hoped there would be more tablet-specific apps available through Google's Android Market, but I only counted a handful, including a CNN application and the "Fruit Ninja" game. Several existing apps looked good on the Xoom's larger screen, however, including the game "Angry Birds."
These features are backed up by a dual-core processor, which make the Xoom zip along. The Xoom's 1 gigabyte of random-access memory — the kind important for running programs — is much more than the iPad has. In my tests, the tablet rarely faltered and was quick to load content offline.
Online, it was fairly speedy and reliable, and this is expected to improve. Currently, the Xoom uses Wi-Fi or Verizon's existing 3G data network for wireless service. Eventually, it will be upgraded to work on Verizon's faster 4G network.
The battery is rated for up to about 10 hours of video playback, or about nine hours of Web browsing over 3G; I played YouTube videos over Verizon's network and got more than six hours of life out of the Xoom. Not bad, but it could be better.
Regardless, the Xoom is a strong tablet, and the first true competitor to the iPad thus far. The new iPad looks enticing, but if you're set on getting a non-Apple tablet and can get past the Xoom's steep price, it's a good pick.


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grails prod run-app
21 Deployment
Version: 5.2.5
Table of Contents
21 Deployment
Grails applications can be deployed in a number of ways, each of which has its pros and cons.
21.1 Standalone
"grails run-app"
You should be very familiar with this approach by now, since it is the most common method of running an application during the development phase. An embedded Tomcat server is launched that loads the web application from the development sources, thus allowing it to pick up any changes to application files.
You can run the application in the production environment using:
You can run the app using the bootRun
Gradle task. The next command uses the Gradle Wrapper.
./gradlew bootRun
You can specify an environment supplying grails.env
system property.
./gradlew -Dgrails.env=prod bootRun
Runnable WAR or JAR file
Another way to deploy in Grails 3.0 or above is to use the new support for runnable JAR or WAR files. To create runnable archives, run grails package
grails package
Alternatively, you could use the assemble
Gradle task.
./gradlew assemble
You can then run either the WAR file or the JAR using your Java installation:
java -Dgrails.env=prod -jar build/libs/mywar-0.1.war (or .jar)
A TAR/ZIP distribution
Note: TAR/ZIP distribution assembly has been removed from Grails 3.1. |
21.2 Container Deployment (e.g. Tomcat)
Grails apps can be deployed to a Servlet Container or Application Server.
WAR file
A common approach to Grails application deployment in production is to deploy to an existing Servlet container via a WAR file. Containers allow multiple applications to be deployed on the same port with different paths.
Creating a WAR file is as simple as executing the war command:
grails war
This will produce a WAR file that can be deployed to a container, in the build/libs
Note that by default Grails will include an embeddable version of Tomcat inside the WAR file so that it is runnable (see the previous section), this can cause problems if you deploy to a different version of Tomcat. If you don't intend to use the embedded container then you should either remove the Tomcat dependencies or change the scope to testImplementation
prior to deploying to your production container in build.gradle
testImplementation "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-tomcat"
Application servers
Ideally you should be able to simply drop a WAR file created by Grails into any application server and it should work straight away. However, things are rarely ever this simple. The Grails website contains a list of application servers that Grails has been tested with, along with any additional steps required to get a Grails WAR file working.
21.3 Deployment Configuration Tasks
Setting up HTTPS and SSL certificates for standalone deployment
To configure an SSL certificate and to listen on an HTTPS port instead of HTTP, add properties like these to application.yml
port: 8443 # The port to listen on
enabled: true # Activate HTTPS mode on the server port
key-store: <the-location-of-your-keystore> # e.g. /etc/tomcat7/keystore/tomcat.keystore
key-store-password: <your-key-store-password> # e.g. changeit
key-alias: <your-key-alias> # e.g. tomcat
key-password: <usually-the-same-as-your-key-store-password>
These settings control the embedded Tomcat container for a production deployment. Alternatively, the properties can be specified on the command-line. Example: -Dserver.ssl.enabled=true -Dserver.ssl.key-store=/path/to/keystore
Configuration of both an HTTP and HTTPS connector via application properties is not supported. If you want to have both, then you'll need to configure one of them programmatically. (More information on how to do this can be found in the how-to guide below.) |
There are other relevant settings. Further reference:


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Fiscal Year Operating Budgets
September 2018 Monthly Financial Report
Current City of Houston budget information, including comparisons and forecasts derived from the City budget, provided in this site speaks only as of the date the budget was approved by the City Council (May 30, 2018) and does not reflect currently expected financial results of operations for the fiscal year or imply the absence of facts or circumstances which could cause actual financial results to differ from budgeted results. Actual financial results may (and often do) differ from budgeted financial results. No representation is made that historical financial results appearing in this site are indicative of the current or prospective financial condition or results of operations of the City.
The report can be viewed here using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.


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Crystal talks us through how her degree and experience helped her secure a position as a Flood Risk Engineer after University.
University Blog: The Inside Story
Delve deeper into the Chester story by reading blog posts from HE advisers, lecturers and students. Our blog gives you an insight into the Chester experience, plus guidance and tips to help you prepare for university.


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Paulson Seeks to Dismiss Investment Lawsuit
Paulson & Co asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the firm of conspiring with Goldman Sachs Group Inc to get a bond insurer to guarantee payments on an investment allegedly designed to fail.
In a filing in New York on Monday, Paulson said it "made no misrepresentations" to ACA Financial Guaranty about the collateralized debt obligation known as Abacus.
ACA brought the $120 million complaint against Goldman in 2011 and amended its lawsuit in January, adding Paulson & Co and its hedge fund, Paulson Credit Opportunities Master II Ltd, as defendants.
The amended complaint claims Goldman and Paulson deceived ACA into believing Paulson was investing in the CDO. Paulson eventually took a short position on the CDO.
Paulson said it had nothing to do with how Goldman offset its risk or how Abacus was sold to investors.
"By its nature, a synthetic CDO like Abacus must have a long and a short," Paulson said in its filing. "Paulson entered into a credit default swap with Goldman to take a short position on it. Paulson's obligations ended there."
ACA relies on "mischaracterizations, emails unrelated to Abacus, and snippets of correspondence taken out of context," Paulson said.
Michael DuVally, a spokesman for Goldman, declined comment.
Goldman settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for $550 million in 2010 over claims it misled investors in Abacus, without admitting wrongdoing.
The case is ACA Financial Guaranty Corp v Goldman Sachs & Co, 650027/2011, New York state Supreme Court (New York County).
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Ryan Woo)


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ARIES (March 21 to April 19): You easily handle your tasks this week, thanks to those high energy levels that never seem to run down. But pace yourself, Lamb, for the demanding week ahead.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): With the arts dominant this week, you might want to pick up any of those creative projects you've neglected. A workplace situation benefits from some fresh insight.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Music helps replenish your energy levels. Play your CDs if you must. But a live concert could prove more rewarding, especially if you go with that very special someone.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22): Close friends reach out to help perk up your lagging social life. That workplace situation also eases, leaving you time to do more fun things by week's end.
LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22): A revelation clears up that perplexing job-related problem. Some changes will have to be made, which, no doubt, will meet with the Big Cat's roaring approval. Good luck.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22): Reaching out to someone in need is the noble thing to do. But try to restrain the temptation to add a lecture — no matter how well-intended — to your good deed.
LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22): There could be another tough challenge to face before the month is over. But all that hard work is winning you lots of important recognition from your peers.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Keeping to your work schedule could prove difficult with all those personal distractions. Best advice: Stay with it. There'll be time later for socializing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21): Jumping hurdles this week might be vexing for most, but not for the sage Sagittarian, who recognizes that meeting a challenge can open up opportunities.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19): More obstacles might be thrown in your path as you try to finalize a new agreement. But the sure-footed Goat ignores the stumbling blocks and stays the course.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18): We know the Water Bearer takes pleasure in giving to others. But why not let someone else enjoy the experience too by accepting that offer of help?
PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20): You might find you need to ease up on your hectic schedule this week. Don't fret about it. It could be helpful to take a break and replenish your energy supply.
BORN THIS WEEK: You have a way of finding practical solutions to complex problems, and you do it with grace.


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Some folks at Mosaic Church in LA, which is led by Erwin McManus (one of my favorite authors and speakers) have created a Doritos Commercial which is in the running to air during the Superbowl.
It's one of the 6 finalists in Doritos Crash The Super Bowl contest, which means it's already netted it's creators $25k. The 3 commercials that get the most votes will air during the Super Bowl. The site doesn't show current vote totals, but if the number of views and comments are any indication (it's currently tops in both), "Casket" is on its way to Miami.
According to contest rules, if the commercial gets first place on the USA Today Ad Meter, it'll net them another $1 million. Lest you dismiss that possibility, last year top Super Bowl ad was in fact a Doritos submission.
So, what'd you think of the ad?
Thinking about huddling up with your church's video team to start spit-balling ideas for the 2011 Super Bowl?


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As it happens, today I listened to a few weeks old episode of the GIllmor Gang, the one from August 22. In it, they talk about Pandora and tip jars and micropayments, the same sort of things I was discussing yesterday. Despite Doc Searls talking up his VRM stuff and my enormous respect for him, I think that's the wrong path and Cory Doctorow is on the right path. It doesn't matter how frictionless you make the money pipe, the selection energy it requires you to think about how much to tip makes it unworkable. I get pissed off having to decide whether to give a wait person 15% or 18% or 23% most times I'm in a restaurant. I don't want to have to decide whether to give a musician $0.03 a play or $0.05 or whatever. Just the thinking about it is too much trouble.
The quip that occurred to me listening to them talk about it is "think less about the tip jar and more about the tipping point." Consider 100 fans who might tip $1 apiece. I think you'd be better off if you could convert 2 of them into the Kevin Kelly style "1000 true fan" types who will give you $50 this year, and each year until they stop being a true fan. You make the same $100 that way, but you've got an annuity and evangelists and a deeper relationship with the people who do kick you dough.
The more I think on this subject, I think "go big or go home" is the way to go.